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PM Modi Inaugurates Water Metro In Kochi: All You Need To Know About The World’s Largest Urban Water Transport

By
Amit Mishra
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In a significant enhancement to Kochi’s infrastructure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (25 April) inaugurated the first phase of the Kochi Water Metro- India’s first “Water Metro” service.

The Kochi water metro project envisage connecting 38 terminals spread across 10 islands in and around Kochi with a fleet of 78 fast, electrically propelled hybrid ferries.

The water metro will operate on water bodies like any other ferry or traditional boat service, but with modern facilities, enhanced safety and security measures.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the Kochi Water Metro as a “dream project” of the state that would accelerate the growth and development of Kochi.

“The world-class #KochiWaterMetro is setting sail! It is Kerala’s dream project connecting 10 islands in and around Kochi. Exciting times are ahead for our transport and tourism sectors!” the CM tweeted.

Why a Water Metro

Kochi is the largest city in the south Indian state of Kerala and the second largest along India’s western coastline, after Mumbai.

The city sits within a complex estuarine system comprising Lake Vembanad and the many rivers flowing into the lake, including the Periyar and Muvattupuzha rivers.

Inland water transport was once the primary means of freight and passenger transport on the Vembanad lake.

At present, the Kerala Water Transport Department operates around 200-odd boat services from Kochi to nearby islands. Apart from the water transport department, there are stray services operated by private players.

However, these services have seen minimal investment and technology upgrade and have often faced the criticism for being short of facilities and safety measures.

As such the government planned Kochi water metro for which the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was approved in December 2015. The project since then has been delayed due to various reasons and has been finally launched today.

Routes And Terminals

Kochi Water Metro is an integrated water transport project which will provide intermodal connectivity between the bus terminal and the metro network.

The project is intending to utilise the existing water ways in and around Kochi and comprises of 15 identified routes over 76 route kilometres.

Identified Routes of Kochi Metro

In the first phase, the water metro will operate with eight electric-hybrid boats on two routes: High Court to Vypin and Vyttila to Kakkanad. The anticipated journey time on both routes is around 20-25 minutes.

The commercial operation of water metro boat services will begin on 26 April.

Project Funding

In 2016, the approximate cost of the project had been pegged at Rs 747 crore which has since been revised to Rs 1,136 crore.

This amount includes a long-term soft loan of Rs 579 crore from German funding agency Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) under the Indo-German financial cooperation and direct investment from the state government.

The Kochi Water Metro project will be operated and maintained by the Kochi Water Metro Limited (KWML).

Kochi Water Metro Limited has been formed as an Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with 74 per cent shareholding of Kerala government and 26 per cent by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).

Integrated With Kochi Metro

India’s first water metro service will be integrated with the Kochi metro rail, which has been operational since 2017.

Passengers can travel in both Kochi metro and water metro using the “Kochi 1” card. They can also book the tickets digitally.

While the interiors of the boats are designed much like in Kochi Metro, in the same colour scheme, boat terminals, passenger entry and exit gates, ticket counters and safety measures mirror the features of the metro rail service.

All jetties feature electronic display boards about boat service. Announcements will be made in English, Hindi and Malayalam when the services are operating in full swing. Passenger entry and exit to boats, with air-conditioned cabins, are similar to the system in Kochi metros.

Boats

– The water metro will have 78 eco-friendly boats for passenger service – 23 of them will have capacity of 100 passengers and the remaining 55 are meant for 50 passengers.

– The boats constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), are hybrid and battery-powered.

– The ferries use lithium titanate oxide (LTO) batteries which are considered the latest and safest in battery technology, and are capable of fast charging. They can be charged in 10 to 15 minutes’ time, while passengers are alighting or boarding.

– The ferries would have diesel-powered generator back up, which will take over their operation automatically, in the event of any failure of the battery system.

– Each boat costing Rs 7.3 crore have aluminium-catamaran hull and is designed to achieve a speed of 8 to 11 knots, which is considerably faster than conventional ferries in operation in Kerala.

– The air-conditioned ferries will have large windows which will offer great views of Kerala’s famed backwaters and the banks, for passengers.

– The ferries are designed to create very less waves over the narrow channels even at high speed and would provide commuters a silent mode of transport.

– An automatic boat location system will continuously monitor their position from the Operating Control Centre (OCC) at Vytilla Mobility Hub.

– The modern, state of the art, Boats have a ramp facility for the physically-handicapped, feeding chamber for mothers, mobile recharge facilities and modern safety features, including automatic boat locating system and passenger control system.

– The electric-hybrid boats being used for the service have already gained international attention. Kochi Water Metro has won the Gussies Electric Boat Awards, the international award for electric boat.

– Also, the 38 ferry terminals will have floating jetties, making the ferries disabled and elderly friendly.

– Floating pontoons that keep the boat at the same level during high tide and low tide are the specialty of Kochi Water Metro.

The cost-effective and secure journey in water metro would help people to reach their respective destinations without being stuck in traffic snarls and is expected to give a big boost to the tourism sector in Kochi backwaters, apart from giving a modern transport facility for people living on islands on the outskirts of Kochi.

Once completed, Kochi water metro would be the largest centrally controlled urban water transport system in the world.

Bihar: In A First, Six Districts Get Connected To National Gas Grid, 282 Km Project To Provide Natural Gas To 40 Million Consumers

By
Amit Mishra
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In a milestone for gas-based economy in the country, Bihar portion of the Barauni Guwahati pipeline (BGPL), which connects Bihar to the National Gas Grid under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga’ Project has been completed.

The project was completed on 12 April by Gas-in from GAIL’s pipeline network.

With the completion of the Bihar portion of the BGPL, six districts in Bihar — Begusarai, Khagaria, Madhepura, Purnia, Araria and Kishanganj are now connected to the National Gas Grid.

The 282 km Bihar portion of the Barauni-Guwahati pipeline has been completed at investment of Rs 1,260 crore and will provide eco-friendly natural gas to 40 million people in these six districts Bihar.

The pipeline project will provide access to clean natural gas for industries, CNG for vehicles and PNG for homes, promoting a healthier lifestyle.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has lauded the completion of the Bihar portion of the Barauni Guwahati pipeline. Sharing a tweet by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Prime Minister said “This will greatly add to Bihar’s progress.”

Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas pipeline (JHBDPL)

Barauni Guwahati Pipeline (BGPL) is being implemented as an integral part of Jagdishpur- Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline (JHBDPL), commonly known as Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga.

The 3,546-km-long Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas pipeline is being developed by GAIL to connect North-East and part of East Coast with the National Gas Grid.

JHBDPL Project

The JHBDPL will transverse through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam, while catering to the various fertilisers plants, CGD and Petrochemical plants, which have been stranded for gas pipeline connectivity.

In October 2016, work on laying a 2,655-km pipeline from Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal, Bokaro in Jharkhand and Dhamra in Odisha began.

According to the latest update, total commissioned length of JHBDPL including BGPL is 2258 km.

Barauni-Guwahati pipeline

The 726-km Barauni-Guwahati pipeline from Barauni in Begusarai district of Bihar to Guwahati in Assam via West Bengal is an extension of JHBDPL pipeline and has been designed to take the fuel to hereto-unconnected states in the East.

The Barauni-Guwahati pipeline is passing through Bihar, West Bengal and Assam encompassing 20 districts in these states.

Barauni-Guwahati pipeline

Physical progress of the flagship project is 96 per cent complete and is expected to be completed by June 2023.

Feeder Connection to Northeast Gas Grid

Further, JHBDPL through the Barauni-Guwahati pipeline will also connect to North-East Gas grid (NEGG), which will cater to connect eight states of North Eastern India in a phased manner.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has authorised Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL), a joint venture company of five Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) i.e., Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Oil India Ltd, Numaligarh Refineries Ltd (NRL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and GAIL for the development of North East Gas Grid to connect North East region with the National Gas Grid.

The 1656-km-long NEGG Project is 70 per cent complete and the entire project is targeted to be completed by 31 March 2024.

Built And Financed By India, Mongolia’s First Greenfield Oil Refinery To Be Ready By 2025

By
Amit Mishra
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Mongolia’s first oil refinery, being built on the outskirts of the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, and funded with Indian assistance, will be completed by 2025, said the country’s Ambassador Dambajav Ganbold.

In an interview with a Livemint, Ganbold said the first stage of Mongol Oil Refinery, built with a $1.2 billion Indian soft loan, will be completed at the end of this year.

The development assumes significance as Mongolia is entirely dependent on Russia for its energy imports and the new refinery at Altanshiree Soum in the country’s Dornogobi province would help Mongolia meet 70 per cent of its demand domestically.

It’s being seen as a major step amid the crisis because of the Russia-Ukraine war and the cost of oil shooting up manyfold.

The project

It was in 2015 during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mongolia that an agreement between the governments was made to establish the first oil refinery in Mongolia.

The Mongol Refinery is being developed under a government-to-government (G2G) partnership between Mongolia and India. It forms part of the Development Partnership Administration initiative of India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The project, which is the first greenfield oil refinery in Mongolia, includes a pipeline and a power plant as part of its operations. Upon completion, the refinery will have the capacity to process 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day or 1.5 million tonnes per annum.

Four Packages

The refinery project consists of four packages. The first package, or EPC 1, is more than 70 per cent complete right now and will be completed within this year. It was in 2019 when the construction had started on the first phase of the project.

The remaining three packages have gone through the tender process and Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) has been selected.

The company would provide would provide EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) services and EPC-3 (captive power plants) at a cost of $790 million using advanced technology. Under the EPC deal, MEIL will build open art, utilities and offsites, along with plant buildings, and captive power plants for the refinery.

Engineers India Limited (EIL) serves as the Project Management Consultant (PMC) for the G2G project.

In the years to come, this refinery will open up a number of employment opportunities, supporting the growth of nearby small industries, and thereby leading to Mongolia’s economic development.

Explained: How Indian Airports Are Working To Achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions

By
Amit Mishra
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0

Airports are in the process of switching to green sources for their energy consumption needs which will reduce their carbon footprint and further propel the journey towards ‘net zero’ emissions.

Twenty-five airports in the country are using 100 per cent green energy, while another 121 airports will be made carbon neutral by 2025, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced on Thursday.

Scindia made the comments in his virtual address at the two-day EU-India aviation summit.

“The emission contribution of the aviation industry has been under immense scrutiny. We have taken several measures to minimise the carbon footprint and mitigate emissions from the aviation industry,” said Scindia.

“We are encouraging our airports to use green energy by 2024 and achieve net zero by 2030. Twenty-five of our airports are already using 100 per cent green energy. Our target is to make another 121 airports carbon neutral by 2025,” he added.

Swarajya explains the importance of ‘carbon-neutral’ airports.

How Airports Generate Greenhouse Gases?

While there has been a lot of noise around the aviation industry and its emissions in recent years, there has been less talk about airports and their role in the climate crisis. 

Ground-based airport greenhouse has (GHG) emissions are caused by gasoline and diesel fuel for airport vehicles and ground support equipment (GSE), fossil fuel for electricity and heating, jet fuel for auxiliary power units (APUs) that power aircraft at airport gates, and other sources.

Most GHG inventories divide airport emissions into three categories. The amount of control an airport has over emissions reduction determines these classifications or scopes.

Scope 1- Emissions from airport-owned or controlled sources which include fossil-fuel-burning power plants, conventional vehicles that use petrol, or conventional GSE that run on diesel fuel.

Scope 2-Indirect emissions from the consumption of purchased energy (electricity, heat etc.)

Scope 3-Indirect emissions that the airport does not control but can influence. Scope three emissions include tenant emissions, on-airport aircraft emissions (typically, after an aircraft is parked on the apron), emissions from passenger vehicles arriving or departing the airport, and emissions from waste disposal and processing.

As per analysis, Scope 1 contributes 5 per cent and Scope 2 contributes to 95 per cent to the total direct emission from airports.

What Is Carbon Neutral Airport?

Several airports are striving to become ‘carbon neutral’. Carbon neutral airports have zero net carbon emissions.

In simple words, carbon neutral airports have zero carbon footprints and operate completely on green energy such as hydro and solar power for all their energy needs. These airports also offset any residual carbon dioxide emissions under their direct control.

Some of the ways through which airports can become carbon neutral involves energy efficient HVAC and lighting system, energy efficient baggage handling systems, building design as per green building standards, use of daylighting concepts, development of onsite solar power plant, use of renewable energy through offsite mechanism such as open access, long term power purchase agreement (PPA) among others.

Currently, India has 148 operational airports of which Kochi and Delhi airports are carbon-neutral.

The ministry has advised all operational brownfield airports and upcoming greenfield airports  to work towards achieving carbon neutrality and net zero emissions by 2030.

How Airports Are Certified Carbon-Neutral?

Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) by the Airports Council International (ACI) is the only institutionally-endorsed, global carbon management certification programme for airports.

It independently assesses and recognises the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions through six levels of certification, which are mapping, reduction, optimisation, neutrality, transformation, and transition.

Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) at Delhi and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) at Mumbai have achieved the highest-Level 4+ Carbon Accreditation of ACI. As on date, there are only four airports in Asia-Pacific, which have achieved this feat.

The other airports to get the accreditation are Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad both of which got Level 3+ (Neutrality); Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, and the Trivandrum International Airport, all Level 2 accreditation (reduction).

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is in process of ACI-ACA Level 2 certification for 23 more airports in the country.

In total, there are 66 airports in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East among 440 accredited global airports in the ACI’s ACA Programme. Globally, 32 airports are in the top tier- Level 4+ (transition).

So, What Is A Green Airport?

Airports are in the process of switching to green sources for their energy consumption needs which will reduce their carbon footprint and further propel the journey towards ‘net zero’ emissions.

Currently, Mumbai, Cochin and 25 other AAI airports are using 100 per cent green energy.

The Cochin International Airport became the first ‘green airport’ in the world, for which it was awarded the Champions of Earth Award 2018, United Nations’ highest environmental honour. The airport fully operates on solar power, which meets all its electricity requirements.

The 25 AAI airports which are utilising 100 per cent green energy include Puducherry, Kanpur (civil), Hubballi, Belagavi, Mysore, Tezu, Kangra, Shimla, Kullu, Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Imphal, Pakyong, Pantnagar, Dehradun, Dimapur, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Pune, Aurangabad, Gondia, Akola, Sholapur and Juhu.

The AAI has given targets to achieve 100 per cent green energy at its remaining operational airports by 2024. According to a roadmap prepared by the AAI, 13 airports are to go green by March 2023, 12 airports by June 2023 and the remaining 46 airports by December 2024.

Hyderabad’s Suburban Rail Network Expands To International Airport, PM Lauds The Achievement

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The popular suburban rail service in the twin city area of Hyderabad- Secunderabad is now available across nearly 90 route kilometre rail network.

The train service, popularly known as the Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS), earlier operated across 48 route km. The new areas being served by MMTS includes Secunderabad – Medchal and Umdanagar-Falaknuma.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has lauded the expansion of MMTS Rail Network up to 90km in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. 

Sharing a tweet by South Central Railway (SCR), the Prime Minister tweeted; “This shall benefit the people of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and nearby areas.”

Service To Airport

The South-Central Railway has extended 20 MMTS services that operated till Falaknuma, to Umdanagar which is the nearest railway station to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

Schematic Route Map of MMTS Network

“As a result, suburban passengers who wish to travel to the airport will also be able to travel to the nearest railhead by MMTS,” the SCR said in a statement. The distance by road from Umdanagar station to the airport is about 13 km and could take about 20 minutes to travel.

Further, the SCR has introduced 20 MMTS Services between Secunderabad and Medchal, due to which passengers near stations like Malkajgiri, Dayanand Nagar, Safilguda, Ramakistapuram, Ammuguda, Cavalry Barracks, Alwal Bolarum, Gundlapochampally, Gowdavalli among others will be able to avail the MMTS Services.

The new train services between Secunderabad and Medchal and between Falaknuma and Umdanagar take the overall MMTS services to 106.

MMTS Service

Due to the spurt in road traffic after 1980, the State government commissioned several studies, starting with the Hyderabad Area Transportation Study (HATS) in 1984 to find ways and methods to deal with the problem of traffic congestion.

With this background, the State government sent a proposal in the year 2000 to the Ministry of Railways for the introduction of MMTS on the already existing two rail sections viz., Secunderabad/Hyderabad-Lingampalli and Secunderabad- Falaknuma sections.

These sections were part of the zonal railway network on which mainline passenger trains as well as short distance services were plying to accommodate suburban traffic.

The MMTS was thus, essentially an upgradation of the existing network and not a new system. This constituted Phase-I of the MMTS.

MMTS is the most cost-effective means of transport in the twin city region passengers, where the minimum fare is Rs. 5 and maximum fare is Rs. 15/- o­nly.

The latest extension of MMTS Services strengthens the rail connectivity between different parts of the twin cities, especially now eastern parts of the city and will be particularly beneficial to students, commuters, small business people, ladies, employees etc who would prefer a safe and secure, faster and economical mode of transportation.

According to the SCR, works on the remaining stretches of MMTS Phase-II extension are also progressing at a fast pace.

Securing Supply: India’s NMDC Explores Lithium Reserves In Australia

By
Amit Mishra
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0

State-run iron ore miner National Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (NMDC) is exploring lithium reserves, 124.3 miles (about 200 km) off Perth, Australia, company officials said on Wednesday.

“We are in the process of exploring (lithium) in Australia,” D.K. Mohanty, director production, NMDC, told reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference in Mumbai

The NMDC is a ‘Navratna’ public sector enterprise under the Union steel ministry and is the “single-largest producer of iron ore in India”.

“We are seeing positive results,” said Mohanty commenting on the lithium exploration process at the Mt Bevan mine in Australian. Further, in case an economical find is made, the mined material is expected to be shipped to India within two years, a second NMDC official said.

Mt Bevan Project

The Mt Bevan iron ore project owned by Hawthorn Resources and Legacy Mineral is situated 250 km north of Kalgoorlie and 100 km west of Leonora in the Central Yilgarn region of West Australia.

The project is a joint venture between NMDC’s Perth-based subsidiary, Legacy Iron Ore and Hancock Prospecting. Prospecting activities there include exploration and mining of rare earth and other critical minerals such as copper, tungsten, cobalt, nickel and lithium.

In India, the company has already obtained a prospecting licence to carry out exploration activities for lithium reserves in Karnataka. Work on exploration is yet to begin.

The development of the Yilgarn region of West Australia, in conjunction with Legacy which has the backing of major shareholder NMDC Limited and Hawthorn, which has the backing of some Chinese investors, has the potential for opening a new mineral province.

Lithium Criticality

The bedrock of EV transition, lithium is a non-ferrous metal and an essential material in the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used for electric vehicles and energy-storage systems.

Lithium-ion batteries offer a longer life cycle as compared to traditional lead-acid batteries. However, the main reason for their high adoption in EVs is their high energy density. High energy density allows lithium-ion batteries to store more energy in less weight/volume, which is an ideal requirement for e-mobility applications.

Australia is among the top six lithium producers globally, along with Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, the USA and China.

Lithium deposits are critical for India as the country puts its focus on electric mobility for both public and private transport. ‘White gold’, is scarce in the country and as such India is import-dependent for lithium.

The country’s imports of lithium and lithium-ion in FY21 stood at Rs 8,984 crore in FY 21 and increased to Rs 13,838.22 crore in FY22.

India has initiated a concerted exploration push for the alkali metal by acquiring overseas mines as part of its efforts to secure supplies of lithium.

Ahmedabad And Gandhinagar To Be Connected By Metro: Phase II Trial Run Likely In June

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The trial run on the second phase of the Ahmedabad Metro project which will connect the state capital Gandhinagar with Ahmedabad, is expected to commence in June or July.

“We expect to conduct trial runs of Phase II of the Ahmedabad metro project by June or July this year. Once the trial runs are over and the necessary infrastructure is ready, the metro rail connecting Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, along with GIFT City, is likely to become operational within a few months,” said a Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) official.

The stretch connecting Sector 1 in Gandhinagar to Mahatma Mandir in Corridor 1 is yet to be completed while work on Corridor 2 of the second phase is over.

Phase – 2

The Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase-II is 28.25 km long with two corridors and is essentially the expansion of the first phase of the metro.

The 22.80 km-long Corridor 1 spans from Motera Stadium to Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar with 20 stations. Corridor 2 covers 5.4 km distance from the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) to GIFT City having two stations.

Phase-II of Ahmedabad Metro (shown in Yellow and Purple)

The entire Phase-II is on an elevated route. The total completion cost of Phase-II project is Rs 5,384 crore.

The Union government had approved the Phase 2 project in February 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone on 4 March 2019. The construction work commenced in February 2021.

Officials said that the trial run on 20.8km of the Corridor 1 in Phase II of the project is expected in June or July this year while the trial run on the remaining 7.4-km stretch from Sector 1 to Mahatma Mandir is likely to be conducted in December.

Financing

Earlier in October 2022, the GMRC had signed a loan agreement with Agence Francaise de Developpement for financing the Phase II of Ahmedabad Metro.

Backed by French development agency’s financing of over Rs 1,700 crore, Phase II will expand the metro towards Gandhinagar.

The GMRC, which is building the Ahmedabad Metro, is a 50:50 joint venture between the Government of India and the state government of Gujarat.

China Battery Giant CATL Launches Condensed Battery That May Power Electric Airplanes: The Promise And The Caveats

By
Amit Mishra
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0

Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), on 19 April unveiled a condensed matter battery that it said could supply enough energy to power electric passenger aircraft for civil aviation use.

The cutting-edge battery technology offers an energy density of up to 500 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), CATL’s chief scientist Wu Kai said during a presentation at the Shanghai auto show.  

Based in the Chinese coastal city of Ningde, the CATL thinks this is a significant achievement, which breaks the limits that have long restricted the development of the battery sector and will open up a new scenario of electrification centering on high level of safety and light weight.

Concept

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have revolutionized the portable electronics industry and empowered the electric vehicle (EV) revolution.

Unfortunately, traditional LIBs are approaching its physico-chemical limit. The demand for higher density (longer range), high power (fast charging), and safer EVs has recently created a resurgence of interest in other cell chemistries.

The technology, which CATL calls a condensed state battery, uses a “highly conductive biomimetic condensed state electrolyte” which explains the battery name.

The condensed electrolyte creates a “micron-level self-adaptive net structure” that increases the efficiency of lithium ion transporting while boosting stability of the microstructure.

Furthermore, CATL’s condensed battery features ultra-high energy density cathode materials, innovative anode materials, separators, and manufacturing processes, to get it to the record energy density.

Promises

With up to 500 Wh/kg per single cell, the “condensed battery” will be the battery with the highest energy density till date when it enters mass production later this year.

For comparison, the Tesla-designed 4680 cell – so named for its external dimensions (46mm diameter, 80mm length) boast 272-296 Wh/kg, which are considered among the best in the world

Similarly, CATL’s most recent battery, “Qilin” which is named after a legendary creature in Chinese mythology has an energy density of 255 Wh/kg and can power an electric vehicle for 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) on one charge.

Condensed matter technology is being embraced by battery makers competing to develop new materials to improve energy density of the current generation of lithium-ion batteries, which is under 300 Wh/kg.

Usage

For now, CATL is envisioning two versions of its Condensed Battery – one for electric planes and one for automotive applications.

CATL will be able to start mass production of the condensed battery for electric vehicle uses later this year, Wu said during the presentation.

The world’s largest electric car battery maker claims the new batteries are lighter for the same capacity and offer a high level of safety, making them suitable for electrification of passenger aircrafts.

As for the civilian aviation, CATL is cooperating with partners in the development of electric passenger aircrafts whose cells will have to meet “aviation-level standards and testing in accordance with aviation-grade safety and quality requirements“.

This work will apparently take longer to master and the electric plane’s condensed battery won’t be entering mass production this year, except perhaps as a proof of concept and in engineering prototypes.

“The launch of condensed batteries will usher in an era of universal electrification of sea, land and air transportation, open up more possibilities of the development of the industry, and promote the achieving of the global carbon neutrality goals at an earlier date,” said CATL. 

Caveats

CATL claims the condensed batteries offer an impressive charge and discharge performance as well as increased safety.

Although the Chinese battery manufacturer hasn’t disclosed the new cells’ fast-charging capabilities or their endurance in terms of cycles, their technical description suggests faster charging rates than those currently achieved by regular Li-ion batteries.

Also, during the premiere, CATL did not touch upon the costs associated with such high energy density battery. The cutting-edge battery technology typically present considerable challenges for developers, resulting in increased R&D costs. A high price point for batteries would play a vital role in launching a small e-car or electric aircraft since competitive pricing is crucial.

Though a potentially breakthrough technology, the ultimate future of the novel concept will be decided by the materials, cost and market impact.

Mumbai Infra Watch: Versova-Virar Sea Link A Step Closer As MMRDA Invites Bids For Geotechnical Investigation

By
Amit Mishra
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0

In a push to the implementation of the proposed Versova-Virar Sea Link project (VVSLP), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has invited tenders for conducting detailed geotechnical investigation.

As part of the survey, boreholes will be drilled at five different location — Versova, Charkop, Uttan, Vasai and Virar.

Proposed location for Geotechnical Investigation.

Geotechnical investigations are performed to obtain data about the subsurface soil and rock conditions of the proposed development site. It helps to understand the foundation requirements for the construction of any new infrastructures. These investigations are essential for design and structural engineers to recommend design criteria for the construction and design approach for each project.

Project

The Versova-Virar sea link — a 43-km elevated road — will connect Versova, a western suburb of Mumbai, to the fast-growing, dense residential hub of Virar — Mumbai’s satellite town in the city’s larger urban agglomeration of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The project involves not only the construction of a 43 km road over the sea about 1 km off the coast of Mumbai, but also the construction of approximately 60 km of suburban roads, including connector roads and junctions (earthwork and elevated) in addition to the main road, which comes 101 km in total.

Proposed Versova-Virar Sea Link Project Map (MSRDC).

The Versova-Virar sea link was earlier to be built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). However, the project was transferred to the MMRDA in October last year.

Connecting to Other Sea links

The Versova-Virar sea link will be an extension to the Versova Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) Project in the north, which is being built by the MSRDC.

The 17-km Versova-Bandra sea link comprises construction of a sea link bridge along the West coast of Mumbai from Bandra (on South side) at Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) to Versova at Nana Nani Park (on North side).

Once built, the sea bridge connecting Versova to Virar would form a “Garland expressway” (a ring road) to the Mumbai and the suburbs.

The Garland expressway would be formed by Eastern expressway, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Western Freeway Link, Bandra Worli Sea Link, Versova Bandra Sea Link and Versova-Virar sea link.

Sea Link Project Corridor.

Costliest Sea Link

The Versova-Virar sea link has an estimated budget of Rs 63,426 crore and thus would be the city’s costliest sea link, with the estimated budget for the project having more than doubled in the five years since it was first conceived.

The project first conceptualised in 2018 was estimated to cost about Rs 30,000 crore. The revision in the cost is apparently on account of new additions of certain elements, such as some interchanges and tunnels.

Till now, the under-construction Sewri-Nhava Sheva Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) was touted to be Mumbai’s costliest sea link project which entails an amount of Rs 17,843 crore.

Compared to this, the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) — city’s first sea link- was built at a cost of Rs 1,634 crore. The BWSL connecting Worli and Bandra was opened to traffic in 2009.

Similarly, the cost for constructing Mumbai’s second sea-link, the Versova Bandra Sea Link, is set to rise to slightly over 60 per cent to Rs 11,332.81 crore by the time it is completed in 2023.

Versova-Bandra Sea Link Project (MSRDC)

The MMRDA has planned to build the Versova-Virar sea link on the same financial model as the MTHL. The MTHL is being funded by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with guarantees from the state and the central governments. 

Pune Ring Road: MSRDC Invites RFQ To Select Contractors For Building 137 Km Greenfield Corridor

By
Amit Mishra
-
0

The project has an estimated cost of Rs 15,857 crore and is proposed to be taken up in nine packages.

In an effort to speed up the implementation of the proposed 136.80-km-long Outer Ring Road in Pune, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) last week began looking for contractors to take up the construction of the project.

The MSRDC, which is the implementing agency for the project has invited Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to select a list of qualified contractors who will participate in the actual bidding of the project work.

Alignment

The Pune Ring Road will have a greenfield alignment and will have two parts.

The first part will be the 74.08 km stretch from Urse on Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway to Shivare on Pune-Satara NH-4, which will be known as the Eastern Ring Road (PRR-EAST).

The other part will be the 65.45-km-long road from Shivare, back to Urse in Pune District and will be known as the Western Ring Road (PRR-WEST).

The access-controlled Pune Ring Road which lies entirely in Pune district will pass through 83 villages.

Necessity

Pune District is the second largest district in the state of Maharashtra. The city is at the junction of three major highways, namely, Mumbai-Bangalore, Mumbai-Hyderabad-Vijayawada, and Pune-Nashik, while the new national highways — Pune-Pandharpur, Pune-Aurangabad, and Pune-Mangaon also pass through the city.

As a result, heavy outbound traffic passes through the city each day creating traffic congestions.

Such passing traffic, if diverted through road network outside the city limits will ease the traffic congestion within the city. In absence of such peripheral connections, the load of external floating traffic is ever increasing on the intra-city road network.

The MSRDC conceptualized the Ring Road around Pune City to divert the traffic passing through the city, from outside the city towards other cities, without letting them to enter in the Pune City.

Salient Features

While the width of the road will be between 90 to 110 metres with three lanes on either side for 97.80 km, there will be four lanes each on either side on the 39 km stretch of Ring Road.

The road will be designed for a speed of 120 kmph and will have Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) along with noise barriers on the stretch passing through urban areas.

There will be wayside amenities at five locations. It will have 14 interchanges, eight pedestrian underpasses, six smaller vehicular underpasses, 13 light vehicle underpasses, 37 vehicular underpasses, 28 vehicular overpasses, three railway overbridges, 16 major bridges, 38 minor bridges, 230 culverts, 10 tunnels, and 18 flyovers on the Ring Road.

Cost And Construction

The project has an estimated cost of Rs 15,857 crore and will have a completion period of 30 months from the actual start of work, which is likely by this year’s end. The construction of Ring Road is proposed to be taken up in nine packages.

In addition, the state government has already allocated Rs 11,000 crore for the acquisition of land for the Ring Road project.

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